Wait until your own son gets involved in drugs: Parents

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta

Even after a struggle of almost 15 years, Hartati, 60, has not been able to cure her son's drug addiction. She is still trying to earn money for the treatment of Koko, 35 (not their real names).

Last year, her husband, a retired official at a state-owned company, died in disappointment, she says, adding that she, too, would welcome death as a respite.

"He started using all sorts of drugs in high school. We've had him treated at hospitals and with traditional medication, but he always goes back to drugs," Hartati said.

"He began stealing my money and jewelry as well as selling our electronic appliances ... We couldn't control him any longer. Our home become a hell of misery for years after," she remembered.

Hartati said now she had nothing left to sell, while people to whom she still owes money had started demanding their money back. Her son still hangs out trying to get hold of drugs, she said.

"I am very tired, and all I want to do now is lie down and wait for my time to come," she whispered.

Asked to comment on Thursday's execution of an Indian national convicted of drug dealing, she said she agreed with capital punishment -- "but it can't bring back a lifetime lost" in the family's fight against drugs, she said.

It is unclear what effect the execution of Ayodya Prasadh Chaubey, 67, who maintained his innocence to the end, will have on drug dealers, let alone the millions waiting restlessly for their drug supplies.

The latest data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) shows that 3.6 percent of the population are addicts, meaning that families of at least 7.5 million addicts go through a daily struggle to make it through the day.

Noted lawyer Henry Yosodiningrat, whose son once abused drugs, praised the execution of Chaubey, saying the move was a concrete measure to fight widespread drug abuse among the young generation.

"It's progress, and it shows a moral commitment from law enforcers to eradicate drug abuse; it's a first step in saving our nation from devastation," said Henry, who set up the Anti- Narcotics National Movement (Granat).

He said an average of 1,000 youngsters in the country died each year because of drug addiction, and refuted the argument that executing Chaubey was against human rights.

"What about the rights of millions of youths who have lost their future because of drug traffickers?" he said, adding that a country that upholds human rights like the United States still applied capital punishment.

Henry demanded that other drug abuse convicts on death row must be executed as soon as possible to make the deterrent effect of capital punishment effective.

Baby Jim Aditya, also an antidrug abuse activist, said that while she basically disagreed with the death sentence, she could not help feeling it was an effective way to prevent the "enormous damage" inflicted on young drug addicts. She cited, among other things, the contribution of drug abuse to the increasing cases of HIV/AIDS in the country.

Both Henry and Baby agreed that executing drug dealers was only a small part of big task to eradicate drug abuse in the country. They said prevention and medication must also be significantly improved.

Meanwhile, Hartati couldn't care less about the ongoing controversy.

"I haven't even told you my real misery yet. Wait until one of your sons or a family member gets involved with drugs, then you'll get to feel it."